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1918 























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To my father and mother, Amos Ingalls Withe y 
and Mary Jane Withey this book is respectfully 
dedicated. 



Copyright 1918 
by J. F. Withey 



A\ORC 
FISH STOPIES. 

IVO. 3. ALU TRUE 

WITH 



OF A FISH FLAVOR 

ILUUSTRAXED. 

J. rRANKLIN WITHt^Y. 




J. FRANKLIN WITHEY, 
BOSTON. LOS ANGELES 






OCT I4I9J8 

©aA50(>151 



MRS. WHALE'S SELECT EXCURSION 

TO FRANCE— THE PARTY OF 

THE SAINTS 

Mrs. Whale had been doing transport 
duty and freighting for the government to 
such an extent that she had accumulated a 
large sum of money. She thought it her 
duty to serve her country in some way, not 
only as a return favor but to advance the 
cause of liberty throughout the world. She- 
also realized that in order to do her duty 
she should use what had been given her, 
both in money and her special capacity for 
the service. She planned an excursion of 
which she would bear the whole expense, 
the objective point being the part of France 
where our brave boys are fighting for equal 
rights of all mankind. Mrs. Whale was 
aware of the fact that before the war peo- 
ple of means and social standing were in 
1 



the habit of visiting Europe. This had 
mostly stopped and she realized that these 
very people were desirous of still going if 
they could go under protection, totally 
without danger to themselves. She real- 
ized that in herself and what she had at 
her command she could perform this duty. 
She was totally under water all the time, 
was provided with specially God-given eyes 
that could see a long distance under water 
and see the appproach of submarines. She 
could change her course and with her ca- 
pacity for speed outdistance them or could 
provide herself with artificial means to pro- 
tect herself. She planned a select party 
mostly with a few others that were neces- 
sary on such occasions. She selected peo- 
ple from Washington and New York. She 
prepared a proper form of invitation, and 
this was it: 

2 



My Valued Friend 

Kealiziiij^ that you are one of a luiiiihcr 
of persons who have overexerted them- 
selves in the service of the conduct of the 
war and the cause of liberty, I feel it my 
duty to relieve you of the burden. J have 
planned, free of all expense to you, an ex- 
cursion to France where our brave boys 
are now fij^htinj^-. The date of starting? is 
Sei>tember 28, 1918, and from a jjoint in 
New York of which you will Ije notified 
later on. Please consider this as your in- 
vitation to be one of the party. Please 
notify me if you accept the invitation, as 
I am somewhat short of inside space for 
people as well as their belongings and nec- 
essary provisions for the maintenance of 
life. 

MRS. VIRGINIA WHALE. 

The following named persons received 
3 



these invitations: Mr. Charles John Jones, 
an employee of the Pension Department 
in Washington, together with his wife and 
boy, eight years of age. All the parties 
without an exception accepted with proper 
reasons for their desire to go as well as 
their duty to thesmselves physically. Mr. 
Jones' arduous duties in the office on ac- 
count of extra requirements of the war had 
undermined his health, but not being pos- 
sessed of means he was unable to provide 
himself with vacation advantages. He re- 
ceived a large salary but on account of home 
expenses his money was always dropping 
from his possession. He considered this 
as symptoms of dropsy and thought it 
his duty to accept. His wife thought the 
same. The boy was called by people gen- 
erally Bobby Jones. A senator from one 
of the northwestern states was invited to- 
4 



gether with his son, a lad eighteen years of 
age. The senator's wife had died a year 
ago. The senator was a fluent speaker and 
had been very instrumental in the carry- 
ing through of many war measures. Mrs. 
Whale had taken so much interest in who 
should be invited and accepted that she de- 
livered some of the invitations personally. 
She swam up the Potomac in front of the 
capitol grounds to do the same. The one 
to the senator was one of them. At the 
time he received the invitation from her 
he could barely speak above a whisper. 
This he considered as symptoms of throat 
and lung disease and accepted at once. 
His son considered it his duty to go to 
protect and help his father. This son had 
become a fluent speaker and also was pos- 
sessed with the idea that he had the proper 
idea of the requirements of the present war 
5 



and he alone could apply proper remedies 
and bring about speedy bentticial vesulta 
and permanent peace. 

There was a man employed in the patent 
office who once invented a suspender but- 
ton. Not being- of a business turn of mind 
and miscalculating the financial advantages 
from the sale of the article he became em- 
barrassed. His friends came to his rescue 
and secured him a situation in the patent 
office. Although Mrs. Whale had no use 
for suspender buttons she became intangled 
in his affairs. She invited him to her quar- 
ters and presented him with an invitation. 
He blushed profusely, turned unusually red 
in the face, so much so that she spoke 
about it. He considered it as symptoms of 
scarlet fever, and accepted with a profusion 
of thanks. When passing down the Poto- 
mac Mrs. Whale could hardly keep her 
6 



eyes off the capitol building — could hardly 
swim straight. There was a man employed 
in the department of submarine construc- 
tion. His time was employed on vessels 
of submarine nature so much so that he 
was always in the presence of an unusual 
quantity of water. He became afflicted 
with head trouble. He considered that he 
had symptoms of water on the brain. He 
accepted the invitation and delivered his 
own acceptance personally to Mrs. Whale, 
handing it to her from the wharf. He 
looked tired and she almost upset the ar- 
rangement between them by offering him a 
glass of water. Returning to New York 
she was at anchor although not needing an 
anchor at a wharf near the financial and 
business district. There was a man to 
whom she sent an invitation of whom she 
had bought a large number of Liberty 
7 



L^l 







K' 



The Senator's Son, 



know them from youth being agreeable 
and interesting neighbors. The man was 
always so close a friend that he got in the 
habit of borrowing five dollars of her and 
returning it to her in a few days. In a day 
or two he would return and borrow the 
same five dollars. His calls were so often 
that he was always owing her five dollars. 
She considered it a pleasure to do it. The 
wife was a good motherly old soul and 
took special delight in cooking for her hus- 
band. His business was light expressing to 
and from the city. He would make about 
six trips a day and one of his peculiar 
habits was to have a meal after each trip. 
A conversation with them was a source of 
pleasure to the caller, young or old. Mrs. 
Whale was determined that they should 
have the time of their lives and an invita- 
tion was given them. They accepted it 
9 



&^mm^m&&&m&&&€i^ 




Mr. and Mrs. Parsons, 



and their son had it glassed and framed. 
Their names were Johnathan and Susan 
Parsons. 

To give a religious tone to the party Mrs. 
Whale sent an invitation to an old Presby- 
terian minister who used to preach in New 
York. After passing the prime of life in 
which to serve to advantage in that ca- 
pacity he came to a sailor bethel on the 
water front to preach. This was where 
Mrs. Whale came to become acquainted 
with him and used to lay alongside of his 
bethel and listen to his sermons. She used 
to enjoy his sermon founded on the occa- 
sion of the Saviour feeding the multitude 
with loaves and fishes. Not being in a 
very strong condition mentally to prepare' 
sermons he used to preach this sermon 
once a month. Mrs. Whale was always 
on hand and always promptly on time. Mrs. 
10 




the Organist. 



Whale thoufth that a doctor was of the 
utmost necessity and engaged a gentleman 
who had always attended her when she 
had swallowed a fish hook or anchor — in 
short she considered him her family doctor 
and whether disabled or taken sick in any 
part of the globe she knew where to find 
him. She had never been able to have a 
telephone connection with him when on the 
water but was equipped with wireless ap- 
paratus. She could connect with him 
when taken sick even on the coast of Eu- 
rope and he would be ready to attend to her 
on her arrival is less than an hour. 

There were persons who desired to go 
but Mrs. Whale did not consider them de- 
sirable. There was an old lady who was 
the widow of a dry goods dealer who asked 
to go. She spent her time riding and shop- 
ping for rare dry goods and such things. 
11 



^C?€^S^€^€^C^€^C^C^C^€^C?€^ 



She never appeared but what she was car- 
rying a pet poodle dog in her arms or 
dragging it along the sidewalks. She al- 
ways was preparing for it rare dishes. It 
was very fond of fish and a combination in 
which fish was used. It liked fish spawns. 
This did not appeal to Mrs. Whale's feel- 
ings so that it was not her heart's desire 
for her company. She declined to give her 
an~ invitation. Mr. Parsons was a great 
lover of cats, owning generally about six. 
Mrs. Whale hated to disappoint him in his 
request to take a cat on board, but she told 
him why she refused the lady with the 
dog. She remembered her experince when 
swimming along the New England coast 
and seeing a number of cats feeding on 
the beach. She remembered their propen- 
sity to get at the inside of them. Mrs. 
Whale did not want to lead them into temp- 
12 



tation. 

There was a man who came to her with 
tears in his eyes and told her of the way 
he had been victimized by promoters. He 
had been possessed of a fortune and was 
induced to put it into a large apartment 
store in the suburbs of New York. He 
failed to receive patronage and by degrees 
the stock was sacrificed. He stated his 
case and in tears exclaimed, "You know the 
rest." Mrs. Whale said, "Yes, and you 
need it. But you are too late." He said if 
she was in want of sleeping arrangement 
as a reason for refusal, he had taken in his 
business as an inducement to obtain trade 
a large number of postage stamps — in fact 
enough to fill a mattress. As he was an 
Englishman and desired to return home 
and not come back she realized that the 
stamps would be of great use to her and 
13 



her guests. She gave him accommodations 
near the post office department on the 
floor where he could place his mattress 
where it was easy of access and he could 
help in the post office. He was a great 
talker with a long tongue and could lick 
stamps. 

A gentleman came to her claiming to be 
a noted astronomer but in reality was only 
a star gazer. She was under water most of 
the time and she could not see how she 
could accommodate him in his require- 
ments without cutting extra holes in her 
back for him to gaze out of and see the 
planet Mars and others. She was opposed 
to having her back all marred up or any 
other part of her person. She refused him 
and to pacify him bought a costly spy glass 
adapted to field work or night gazing. 
This did not suit him so she exchanged it 
14 



for a powerful field glass that would take 
in long- distances even under water. The 
hotel proprietor of the hotel where he had 
stayed for years informed him he could 
sit on the wharf and watch the saints party 
almost to Europe as they went away. 

There were over nine hundred mothers 
who requested the privilege of going to 
visit their sons on the fields of France. 
They invariably said they desired to carry 
them mince pies. She explained to them 
that it would be impossible to do it but 
she would take their pies with a kind note 
attached. Every person who had an invi- 
tation was provided with a ticket to pre- 
vent confusion on the day of starting. $t 
read: 

"Admit one person to the confidence and 
bosom of Mrs. Virginia Whale, Sept. 28th, 
1918, at 9 o'clock sharp." 
15 



E@C^C^€^C^C^^C^C^C^C^C^^C^ 



The day and hour of sailing arrived. 
The nine hundred and over mothers with 
their pies w^ere wholly in the way of in- 
vited guests and police were required to 
keep the gangplank clear. I cannot give 
the contents of the notes on each pie but 
will give two of them that impressed me: 

"My son, you are the apple of my eye, 
I send to you my best mince pie." 

"I would like to you this pie to take. 
It is the best that I could make. 
It has no cider in it, my dear boy. 
But there are raisins in it." 

As they were passing up the gangplank 
Bobby Jones was between his mother and 
father, each having hold of a hand. Bobby 
wanted to look in every direction, conse- 
quently he stumbled and in his effort to 



recover himself broke away from his fa- 
ther's grasp and his mother, retaining her 
hold, they plunged together into the crowd 
of excursionists, knocking the minister iji 
his feeble condition into many others who 
were confirmed invalids for the time being. 
This did not get him into the good graces 
of the company to start with. The doctor 
inquired if anybody was hurt and displayed 
his medicine chest to good advantage. 
There was no other mishap and Mrs. 
Whale's face was full of smiles as a fish 
can only be who is doing its duty with no 
opposition and swimming under its own 
will power. 

The help employed by Mrs. Whale con- 
sisted of a cook and assistant, a table waiter 
and an assistant, who was a colored man. 
Mrs. Whale neglected to provide music so 
that the only instrument aboard was a 
banjo that belonged to the colored waiter, 



a trombone that belonged to the assistant 
cook who could play a few notes when 
called for, and Bobby Jones' drum. The 
first meal was at 2 o'clock. When all were 
seated the minister was requested to ask 
a blessing. He was somewhat frustrated 
as well as honored to do so before so dis- 
tinguished an assembly that he pronounced 
the benediction instead. Bobby Jones' fa- 
ther had not been in the habit of asking a 
blessing at his own table but was a church 
attendant. Bobby always went with him 
and always noticed that when the benedic- 
tion was pronounced it was time to go 
home. On this occasion he thought the ex- 
cursion had been given up and they were 
going to return home. He was so disap- 
pointed that he began to cry. The people 
tried to explain to him and his mother 
shook him, but to no purpose until the doc- 
18 



tor came to the rescue. Thinking that the 
people would be liable to overeat and would 
need his services he prepared some pills as 
big as marbles which he named "Dr. New- 
comb's First Relief Gems." They were 
colored red. He gave Bobby five of them — 
that quieted him at once. The pies were 
stored quite near Mrs. Whale's head and it 
threw her kind of out of balance so that 
she pitched forward in such a way that it 
retarded her somewhat, but she was a 
proud fish and held her head up in the 
air or rather up in the water. This was a 
benefit to her as she could look ahead 
much better. 

When about five hundred miles out at 
sea she observed a submarine headed di- 
rectly for her. She gave a quick turn and 
was ofif in another direction with such 
speed that she outdistanced the submarine 
19 




The New York Broker, 



that gave chase seven hundred miles in one 
hour. When nearing the English coast in- 
stead of being afraid of bombs or torpedoes 
she swam among them and allowed the 
party to observe and examine them. The 
party become quite conversational and old 
Mr. Parsons was much pleased to tell his 
express business experience during the time 
of the Civil War. Mrs. Parsons was a pic- 
ture of enjoyment when seated by his side 
on such occasions. Though Mr. Parsons 
was not a religious man he enjoyed ex- 
changing religious theories and ideas with 
the minister. This was an enjoyable enter- 
tainment for all parties. The people not- 
withstanding their symptoms of disease 
were all goood feeders but none could com- 
pare with Bobby Jones. A bowl of any- 
thing that was given him was out of sight 
instantly. The waiter realized it. One day 
20 



at the table he told his father he had seen 
a lot of pictures of the trenches with the 
soldiers in them and he knew what they 
were. "I know what trench means, papa, 
but what does retrench mean?" His father 
was trying to explain when the waiter came 
along. Touching him on the shoulder he 
exclaimed, "Eat less soup." 

An evening's entertainment was planned 
by the senator's son to enable him to not 
only show his ability and tell what he knew 
about the conduct of the war, but to give 
his father a chance of the same kind. Mr. 
and Mrs. Parson were given seats on the 
platform with others, while the assistant 
cook and colored waiter were prominent 
with trombone and banjo. The minister 
was asked to make a few opening remarks. 
He was glad to see everybody present and 
congratulated them on their privilege of 
21 



being one of so distinguished a party — a 
heaven born opportunity. The senator's 
son introduced his father, saying that they 
would not have had the opportunity but for 
him, the circumstances being brought about 
by his untiring efforts as a member of Con- 
gress. The senator had recovered from his 
throat trouble and was at his best. He 
gave a list of the measures he had intro- 
duced in Congress which would not have 
been passed but for him. As he sat down 
the people clapped , the trombone was op- 
erated giving blast after blast, the banjo 
got to going at such a rate that it could 
hardly be stopped while Bobby Jones beat 
his drum. Mr. Parson desired to say amen 
but his wife said it wouldn't be proper. The 
next on the program was a declamation by 
Bobby Jones. He recited that speech that 
was given by one of the lords in parlia- 
22 



^&^^&^^&^^l^^^^^ 



ment before the Revolution. His mother 
fixed him up as mothers only can and he 
thrilled the audience as he exclaimed with 
boyish enthusiasm: "Let us retract while 
we can, not when we must." 



^i 




One of the boys who received a pie 



His father thought that as long as he was 
dressed for the occasion, and there was such 
an encore, that he had better recite the 
speech of Patrick Henry. But the cook 
kind of thought he was too full for utter- 
ance, and his mother, when she thought of 
the words, "Give me liberty or give me 
death," thought he was too young to die. 
The colored waiter was induced to render a 
song of his own, with banjo accompani- 
ment. This was it: 

Georgia Home 
I am thinking tonight of my sunkist Georgia 
home, 
Where I libed with Liza many years. 
While the music of the banjo is floating on 
the air 
I can't help the gushing of the tears. 
While thinking of the possums that have 
lost their lives for me, 
23 



And Liza's home cooking of the hoe cake, 
I just tells the cook how much I'm surely 

gone on him, 
And praises up the things he likes to 

make. 

I'm thinking of those children, just five in 
all of them, 
With their ever bright and shining eyes. 
I's thinking of the heaps of things they is 
a-eating, 
'Lasses, cookies and lots of punkin pies. 

And when the war is ended and I've stopped 
the Kaiser 
From a-doing what he thought he'd 
please, 
I'll be just happy then a sitting down, I'm 
thinking, 
With all those children a-sitting on my 
knees. 



^^^3^3^Sl^^^i^^3^SsM 



The senator's son now took the oppor- 
tunity to address the assembly, and said: 
"My American friends, I am glad to stand 
before you and call your attention to what 
my father has done in congress, and to 
tell you what I am able to do for the 
proper conduct of the war, and how to bring 
it to an end on a lasting and solid basis. 
For the encouragement of the brave boys 
in the field I have composed some verses 
for them as a war song. 

"Down on the Kaiser" 
"There are all kinds of people in the world, 

Grom millionaire to hoarding miser, 
But every one of them, it seems to me. 

Just now is down upon the Kaiser. 
"Oh, we will make the Kaiser squirm, 

He will be sorry and be wiser. 
But we'll keep on fighting though, 

For we're down upon the Kaiser. 



"I even have a crowing rooster 

That's an overgrown big sizer, 
But he keeps on crowing all the time, 
For he's down upon the Kaiser. 
CHORUS: 
"Then keep the ball a-rolling, boys, 

For Woodrow Wilson's our adviser; 
We'll give that German all he wants, 
For we're down upon the Kaiser. 
"The Kaiser's Gun" 
"The Kaiser manufactures guns 

That seem to pull the world apart; 
He thinks he's going to keep it up, 
And thinks he's even very smart. 
"But there be a time to come when 
There's not a shotgun lo him name: 
But that won't be the people's fault. 
He'll be the only one to blame. 

"The Kaiser's Dog" 
"The Kaiser even has a dog 



That barks at every one; 
He also wants to bite so bad 
He'll even bite a smoking gun. 

'He loves to bite the children 
And hear their cries and moans; 
To leave them torn and bleeding, 
He gnaws the soldiers' bones. 

"He roams about all through the night 

To find a Belgian hare that's free, 
And chases him till he is sore 
And almost dead, is said to be. 

"The Kaiser'll have to pay the bill, 
And pay it all himself alone; 
Will have to pay for homes destroyed 
And for each life will he atone. 

"We're bound to make him bend the knee 
And do what we shall say; 



i^^^^&^&^^/^&^i^^ 



H's tried to have his way so long 
There is no other earthly way. 
"So let's set the bonds a-floating, 

And pour the soldiers in so fast, 

He'll give it up the sorry job 
And so surrender all at last. 

"I have also prepared some verses that 
should inspire every American heart." 

As the senator's son sat down the great 
organ pealed forth with the strains of 
"America," and the people retired to their 
apartments. Mrs. Whale slept soundly. 

On the second Sunday religious services 
were held, conducted by the minister, with 
the assistance of the able organist. The 
organist when playing the voluntary could 
not restrain himself from branching from 
religious strains of music to strains from 
"The Star Spangled Banner" and "Amer- 
ica." The minister offered a prayer for 
every person in the world, including Mrs. 



fci 



Whale and her relatives, and made a special 
pleading for the soldiers and the folks that 
were left at home. He read appropriate 
passages of Scripture. He selected his text 
from the fourth chapter of St. Mathew, 19th 
verse, a selection that he thought would be 
to the liking of Mrs. Whale — "I will make 
3^ou fishers of men." He preached a ser- 
mon received by all in a good spirit, and the 
following hymn was sung by the congrega- 
tion: 

Hymn 
The God of battles reigns supreme upon his 
throne, 
He aids the soldier on the field of battle, 
Sustains the mother in the anguish of her 
home — 
His voice is heard above the cannon's 
rattle. 

He shields the boys from all the daily 



dangers, 
From the temptations leading them to sin; 
Keeps them joyous and contented when on 

duty, 
Keeps them strong for noble victories to 

win. 

He helps all people who live upon this 
globe, 
Embues his Holy Spirit in their lives; 
He is the Everlasting Father to all the 
world, 
He hears the prayer of him who daily 

strives. 
The benediction was pronounced and the 
organ was played for an hour and a half. 
Each person, much to satisfaction of the 
organist, shook him by the hand, and Mrs. 
Whale frippered him on the back. 

The party arrived on the coast of France 
and Mrs. Whale entered one of the trnches 



running down to the sea. It was an en- 
thusiastic reception and the boys were wild 
with excitement as they broadened and 
deepened the trench, allowing the water to 
enter, and removing every barrier that 
would prevent Mrs. Whale's easy passage. 
She passed thousands of people gathered on 
the banks and arrived at the nearest point 
to the German lines, where an extra width 
was provided, much to the satisfaction of 
Mrs. Whale. The boys had come hundreds 
of miles to receive the party and stood by 
thousands and thousands to receive them. 
It was a glorious sight as the party crossed 
an open field bearing in their arms the pies, 
there being nine to each person. Mrs. 
Whale kept her flag floating at top mast 
and continued spouting water all the time, 
making a fountain of sparkling water while 
they crossed the sunny fields of happy 
France. Each boy displayed a flag con- 



tributed by allied powers. The senator's 
son tok the opportunity to address them in 
glowing language. The cook, realizing that 
he had been relieved of a large amount of 
cooking by the gift of the pies, composed 
some lines, which he gave to the speaker 
to read. He gladly read: 
"Dear boys, who fight the battles of your 

lives, 
We bring to you a lot of choice supplies. 
With generous thoughts we bring them, 
Accept our thanks, receive these pies." 

The boys could hardly contam themselves 
and broke out with the rally song: 

Rally Song 
We're going to shoot the Kaiser with a gun, 
with a gun, 
Going to chase him, make him run, make 
him run, 
Make him sorry for what he's done, what 
he's done, 



C <\it} 



Then we'll come marching home. 

First we'll take him singly, one by one, one 

by one; 
Then pounce on him together, every moth- 
er's son, mother's son. 
He'll think his time has come, time has 
come, 
Then we'll come marching home. 
After enjoying the company of the boys 
as long as they could remain off duty, the 
company returned to Mrs. Whale's warm 
embraces and commenced backing down 
the trench to its outlet to the sea. The Ger- 
man's mistook it as a retreat of the Ameri- 
cans, and poured out of their trenches and 
bore down on Mrs. Whale, there being over 
a thousand in the assaulting party. This 
was a sorr3'^ mistake for them. The Ameri- 
can soldiers repulsed them and they were 
driven back with such disastrous results 



U'^?s^" 






^ 



that none were able to return but a drum- 
mer boy. All the papers in Paris gave an 
account of it the next day, and every news- 
boys made sums of money ranging from 
ten dollars up. The event was chronicled 
in the archives of France and given a place 
beside the account of Lafayette's visit to 
this country after the revolution. It strands 
in history as the Battle of the Saints. 

Crossing the ocean on their return, a 
committee was chosen to prepare some res- 
olutions. They were the following: 

Whereas, Mrs. Whale has a generous 
heart; whereas, she is a good swimmer; 
whereas, she is a lavish and willing pro- 
vider, employing the best of help; whereas, 
she is a good spouter, always being cool 
and calm; resolved, that Mrs. Whale is all 
right; and, resolved, that we return to her 
our thanks, wishing her a long life and her 
presence on a similar occasion. A copy of 



■ • T.^ s-^^ .:.iv ^v ^r^^. 






these resolutions, glass and framed in re- 
flecting glass, and placed in such a position 
near the eyes of Mrs. Whale that while 
always looking forward, her eyes rested 
upon them. Thus ended the Party of the 
Saints. 



^ 



A WAR INCIDENT 

One afternon I wandered into Westlake 
Park and sat down on the bank of the 
lake, and was watching the fish swimming 
about, when a young lady came along and 
sat down upon one of the seats. She took 
a box of stationery out of a bag that she 
had and began to write a letter. I was 
sitting quietly, enjoying myself when 1 fell 
asleep. I don't know how long 1 slept, 
but when I awakened the young lady had 
gone. She left a piece of paper lying on 
the bench and I picked it up. There being 
no one in sight to claim it, I looked at it 
and commenced to read it. This was what 
it said: 

"Dear George: This is the fifth letter I 
have written you in four days. Grandma 
has gone to sleep in the house across the 
street, so I thought I would write a letter 



to you before she woke up. I bought a 
book yesterday to send you, called "Uncle 
Frank's Fish Stories." It told about a party 
that went to visit you soldier boys in 
France. It was a funny book. The party 
went in a whale's belly, a great big one. It 
was a select party. There were over 900 
soldiers' mothers who wanted to go, but 
there wasn't room, but they let them send 
a mince pie a piece to a soldier. I wish I 
had known it, you would have had the big- 
gest, best and sweetest mince pie you ever 
had. So to make up for it, I am going to 
send you the book, and grandma and I to- 
gether are making you a box of nice candy 
with lots of different kinds in it, to send 
with this book. You can sit by yourself 
and read and eat the candy. I wouldn't be 
giving any of it to those French girls that 
come around your camp. I wouldn't have 
much to do with them, they are kind of 



flirty, so folks tell me. I had an invitation 
to go to a dance last night, but there wasn't 
anybody going that I like as well as you, 
so I stayed at home with grandma. She is 
awful good to me, and says she hopes she 
will live until the war is over and you come 
home and get married to me. She thinks 
there is nobody like you. I think she has 
waked up by this time and I must hurry to 
the house. Good-bye. 

Your 

DAISY. 



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APR 79 

N. MANCHESTER, 
INDIANA 46962 





